Global NGOs Urge Croatia To Grow Effectiveness, Independence Of Border Monitoring System

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) A new border monitoring mechanism announced recently by Croatia needs improvement with respect to its mandate, effectiveness, and independence, eight major NGOs said on Tuesday.

"Any border monitoring mechanism should be independent in law and practice and have sufficient resources and a robust mandate to monitor border-related operations anywhere on the territory of a state. It should be capable of ensuring that all documented human rights violations are promptly and thoroughly investigated," the organizations said in a joint press release, released on Tuesday.

According to the Croatian government, talks on the new system are over, but no details have been disclosed. Based on the information collected by the groups, the mandate of the new border monitoring mechanism will be limited to police stations, border crossing points, and detention centers around the border.

However, the vast majority of documented unlawful practices take place outside Croatia's official border crossings, and thus, this would create blind spots and enable violations to continue, according to the release, signed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Center for Peace Studies (CMS), Are You Syrious, Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Refugee Rights Europe and Save the Children.

It isn't the first time that humanitarian organizations have accused the Balkan country of "unfair" practices in regards to immigration and border crossing. Since 2016, there has been speculation by humanitarian organizations about the collective expulsion of migrants and asylum seekers, and pushbacks (a set of state measures by which refugees and migrants are forced back over a border) at the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatian authorities have denied such allegations.